Roman Lucerna 2, S. Cucufate, Portugal

Clay lamp (lucerna) from roman villa of S. Cucufate, Alentejo, Portugal. Roman Empire (3rd century AD). Lamps fueled with olive oil and other vegetable oils were very common in the Roman world to provide artificial light. This specimen has a wide shoulder decorated with pearls, separated from the disc by a band with decoration dotted inside. Concave disc (discus) without decoration and with filling-hole in the center. On the outside, stylized representation of a palm or fish between the letters C and L S, the letters C and S surmounted by two circles, within a circular frame consisting of two incised lines. The specimen presents 3,3 cm in height and 8,1 cm in long. Currently it is exposed in the permanent exhibition of the museum of S. Cucufate (Vila de Frades, Vidigueira). Catalog No. CUC. 81 2654.